“Chorizo” Tacos | Mark Bittman

Is it make-believe chorizo or tofu? The “chorizo” tacos by Mark Bittman are the meatless alternative to the real thing. It might be fake chorizo, but it’s a virtuous kind made with tofu. You can’t tell by the look! However, you can eat a lot of it, since it tastes so yummy, without feeling you’re overeating. In addition, corn tacos are gluten free. All and all, the “chorizo” tacos recipe is a guilt-free, easy, relatively quick approach to everyday healthful plant-based eating.

Start with gathering all the ingredients, primarily aromatics, a box of firm tofu, and herbs, red pepper (optional), chili and lime for finishing. (Garlic scape is seasonal from the farm and that goes into the dish as well.) First, sweat the onion and garlic until softened in a large non-stick pan. Then crumble the tofu with your hand and add them to the pan. Next, cook and stir the tofu pieces until they turn brown and crispy on the edges. Mark Bittman gives us the estimated time anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes.

Do you know it takes a fairly long time to brown tofu? The time spent browning is proportional to my doubt whether tofu would eventually turn brown. (I have never seen it done.) But they do. I guess, it takes a bit of patience and faith in the process.

Mark Bittman’s recommendation is to use a large non-stick pan. All I have is a large cast-iron pan. It would have been easier using a non-stick pan without the worry that the tofu pieces stick to the pan. By the way, sticking is OK since they become morsels of crispy goodness — all wrapped up in a taco.

A few weeks ago, I posted oyster mushrooms tacos with the fixin’s. The “chorizo” tacos will work nicely together with the roasted mushroom, avocado crema and pickled radish there. Everyone can pick and choose what they want on their tacos — perfect for outdoor dining. For the chef, the sides can be prepared ahead of time.

The chorizo-like tofu can go many places. Other than taco being the vehicle, pita bread or other flat breads are also good choices. Furthermore, there is no reason why they can’t pair it with pasta, rice or noodle. The “chorizo” tofu makes a perfect and versatile vegetarian substitution, which is able to take on a wide spectrum of flavor among different cuisines.

Print Recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 6-inch corn tortillas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1 ⁄ 2 pounds firm tofu (1 1 ⁄ 2 blocks)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 limes, 1 halved, 1 quartered
• 1 ⁄ 4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
• 1 ⁄ 4 cup chopped scallions, for garnish

Instructions

1

Heat the oven to 400°F. Stack the tortillas on a large square of foil and wrap them loosely.

2

Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. add the onion and garlic; sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften, 3 to 5 minutes.

3

Crumble the tofu into the pan with your hands. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet occasionally, and adjusting the heat as necessary, until the tofu browns and crisps as much or as little as you like it, anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes.

4

When the tofu is almost ready, put the tortillas in the oven.

5

Add the bell pepper to the pan if you’re using it. sprinkle the mixture with the chili powder; stir, and cook, continuing to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan until the mixture is fragrant, less than a minute. squeeze the juice of the halved lime over all, garnish with cilantro and scallions, and serve with the tortillas and lime quarters.

Notes

Adapted from https://www.markbittman.com/recipes-1/chorizo-tacos